Extraction of nickel from mixtures of nickel and other metals.



STAES HANS nnwenn FIERZ, or BASEL, swrrz r I EXCTIQN OF NICKEL FROM MIXTURES OF NICKEL AND OTHER METALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July it, rare.

Application filed meta, 1914. Serial No. 827,404.

by the reduction of the said metals from the' o'xid to the metallic state by means of a 7 gas, such as producer gas, which contains carbon monoxld'.

According to the'present invention, when the oxids of nickel, copper and in some cases other metals have been converted into the corresponding metals by means of a reducthis means practically the whole of the nickel present will be converted into an extremely finely divided pyrophorous metal, which will easily combine with carbon monoxid in the extracting or volatilizing stage of the process to form nickel carbonyl.

The following examples of carrying the said invention into practice may be given Example 1: A mixture of copper and nickel oxid is obtained, for example, by carefully roasting the sulfids of the metals at a temperature of from 680 to 720 C. and preferably then extractingwith dilute suliuric' acid, in order to remove the copper, e. g. in the form of copper sulfate, and the nickel sulfate as far as is practicable having regard to economical working. This mixture of copper and nickel oxids is then reduced with producer gas at a temperature not below 220 C, and preferably above 280- C but not exceeding 500 C. When all the oxids are reduced, hydrogen is passed through the ap aratus until all the carbon monoxid is disp aced, the temperaturebeing meanwhile kept above 280 (1, whereupon the temperature'ofthe vessel and its contents is reduced to C, and pure carbon monoxid Or producer gas passed over, the

metals to extract the nickel. .Nitrogen or other inert gas may be used instead of the hydrogen to displace the carbon monoxid.

Example 2: The mixture of oxids is re- I duced by means of Mend gas. When the reduction is complete, the vessel is evacuated,

the temperature being meanwhile kept above 280 C. and is then cooled either under diminished pressure or hydrogen is let in and then pure carbon monoxid or producer gas is passed over the metals at a temperature of 50 0., until the nickel is extracted.

The said invention can be applied to both continuous and intermittent processes of the kind, above mentioned. v

What I claim is:

1. A process for the extraction of nickel consisting in reducing metal oxids containing nickel .bymeans of reducing agents containing carbon monoxid, removing the carbon monoxid from contact with themetals while the temperature is maintained substantially at that point at which the reduc tion has taken place, then lowering the temperature to that required for the extraction of the nickel by carbon monoxiohand extracting the nickel .by means of carbon monoxid.

2. A-process for the extraction of nickel consisting in reducing metal oxids containing nickel by means of reducing agents containingcarbon 'monoxid, removing the carbon monoxid from contact with the metals by displacing it by means of another gas while the temperature is maintained substantially' at that point at which the reduction has taken place, then lowering the temperature to that required for the extraction oithe nickel by carbon monoxid, and ex-' tracting the nickel by means of carbon nionoxiol. '1

3. A process for the extraction of nickel conslsting in reducing metal oxids containing nickel by means of reducing agents containing carbonmonoxid, removiri the carnickel by carbon monoxid, and extracting vhon monoxid from contactfwith t e meltlals the nickel by means of carbon monoxid.

by displacing it by means 0 hydro en W ile i the temperature is maintained sub tantiaily HANS EDWARD FIERZ' 5 at-that point at which the reduction has Witnesses:

taken place, then lowering the temperature ARNOLD Znmmg,

to that required for the extraction of the PHI IP HOLLAND, J 

